Multi-core workload support

[rbirkby]

The current firmware does not include _thread support. Is there a recommended way to run code on the second RP2350 ARM core, and if not, can _thread support be added?

>>> sys.version
3.4.0; MicroPython v1.14-5485.gddae88e91.dirty on 2025-10-20
>>> help('modules')
__main__          aye_arr/nec/send  breakout_rgbmatrix5x5               pcf85063a
_asyncio          aye_arr/pulse/common                breakout_rtc      picovector
_boot_fat         aye_arr/pulse/pio/rx                breakout_scd41    pimoroni
_io               aye_arr/pulse/pio/tx                breakout_sgp30    pimoroni_i2c
_msc              aye_arr/pulse/receive               breakout_trackball                  platform
_onewire          aye_arr/pulse/send                  breakout_vl53l5cx powman
_rp2              badgeware         builtins          qrcode
_webrepl          binascii          cmath             qwstpad
adcfft            bluetooth         collections       random
aioble/__init__   board             cppmem            re
aioble/central    boot              cryptolib         requests/__init__
aioble/client     breakout_as7262   datetime          rp2
aioble/core       breakout_as7343   deflate           select
aioble/device     breakout_bh1745   errno             socket
aioble/l2cap      breakout_bme280   ezwifi            ssl
aioble/peripheral breakout_bme68x   framebuf          st7789
aioble/security   breakout_bme69x   gc                struct
aioble/server     breakout_bmp280   hardware_test     sys
array             breakout_dotmatrix                  hashlib           time
asyncio/__init__  breakout_encoder  heapq             tls
asyncio/core      breakout_encoder_wheel              io                uasyncio
asyncio/event     breakout_icp10125 json              uctypes
asyncio/funcs     breakout_ioexpander                 lwip              ulab
asyncio/lock      breakout_ltr559   machine           umqtt/simple
asyncio/stream    breakout_matrix11x7                 math              urequests
aye_arr/nec/__init__                breakout_mics6814 micropython       urllib/urequest
aye_arr/nec/common                  breakout_msa301   mip/__init__      vfs
aye_arr/nec/receive                 breakout_paa5100  network           webrepl
aye_arr/nec/remotes/__init__        breakout_pmw3901  ntptime           webrepl_setup
aye_arr/nec/remotes/descriptor      breakout_potentiometer              os                websocket
Plus any modules on the filesystem
>>> import badgeware
>>> dir(badgeware)
['__class__', '__name__', 'BUTTON_A', 'BUTTON_B', 'BUTTON_C', 'BUTTON_DOWN', 'BUTTON_HOME', 'BUTTON_UP', 'CHARGE_STAT', 'HEIGHT', 'Image', 'Matrix', 'PixelFont', 'SENSE_1V1', 'VBAT_SENSE', 'VBUS_DETECT', 'WIDTH', '__dict__', '__file__', 'brushes', 'floor', 'gc', 'io', 'json', 'machine', 'os', 'pcf85063a', 'powman', 'screen', 'shapes', 'sleep', 'st7789', 'sys', 'time', 'ASSETS', 'AnimatedSprite', 'Assets', 'BAT_MAX', 'BAT_MIN', 'BUTTONS', 'BitmapFont', 'Colors', 'DEFAULT_FONT', 'ERROR_FONT', 'LIGHT_SENSOR', 'MAX_BACKLIGHT_SAMPLES', 'Particle', 'ParticleGenerator', 'SYSTEM_FAST', 'SYSTEM_NORMAL', 'SYSTEM_SLOW', 'SYSTEM_TURBO', 'SYSTEM_VERY_SLOW', 'SpriteSheet', 'State', '_lf', 'backlight_smoothing', 'backlight_smoothing_idx', 'clamp', 'conversion_factor', 'display', 'file_exists', 'free', 'get_battery_level', 'get_disk_usage', 'get_exception', 'get_light', 'get_usb_connected', 'is_charging', 'is_dir', 'localtime_to_rtc', 'message', 'pressed_to_wake', 'rtc', 'rtc_to_localtime', 'run', 'sample_adc_u16', 'stream', 'time_from_ntp', 'update_backlight', 'warning', 'woken_by_button', 'woken_by_reset', 'wrap_and_measure']

[martinwoodward]

This is where my knowledge is somewhat lacking. Wondering if @Gadgetoid or @ZodiusInfuser might know.

[rbirkby]

I spoke to @AvinZarlez who suggested they would like to help too!

[AvinZarlez]

Hi, sorry it's taken so long for me to respond. I have been out of office most of November.

I do not know what the recommended way is, it looks like there is a module to add _thread support, but it seems to be experimental

https://docs.micropython.org/en/v1.14/library/_thread.html

[Gadgetoid]

Enabling Core1 is just a configuration change to the MicroPython build, but we tend to disable it for users because it's much more useful as a means to offload system or "firmware" processes, such as babysitting DMA transfers/managing the display etc.

In my experience it's also somewhat fraught in MicroPython. Handling multiple simultaneous tasks is almost always better accomplished with async, for which there is an exhaustive introduction here: https://github.com/peterhinch/micropython-async/blob/master/v3/README.md